Narus.Info

In Iraq prison torture scandal:

Relatives of three of the six soldiers who were charged, and a lawyer for one of them, said in telephone interviews that the soldiers were being made scapegoats for following orders from officers who actively supported, and even commended, the way they treated the prisoners.

The soldiers “were provided no guidance on how to run the prison while they were there,” Myers said. “They came under the influence of the intelligence community, whose interests may not be necessarily consistent with good prison management. The prison was set up in such a fashion that the intelligence community had far too much influence.

“They were instructing or advising the MPs to create ‘favorable conditions’ for interrogation. . . . ‘Favorable conditions’ were conditions where the detainees were susceptible to providing intelligence information, and that process involved techniques of humiliation.”

just like showing flag draped coffins is now taboo, so too is to honor the fallen by showing their names and faces!

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/29/abc.nightline/index.html

Photo taken in Abu Gharib prison by American soldiers torturing Iraqi prisoners, released by Pentagon.

In case you have not already heard or read about the 60 minutes II piece, Rahul Mahajan wonders just what is standard operating procedure in Abu Ghraib.

As I happened to predict in the very earliest days of this blog, the Rumsfeld attack against Fallujah (in revenge for an ambush of mercenaries) has produced nothing except roughly 1,000 dead, mostly noncombatant civilians. Rummy’s “offensive” is over. Read it and weep.

Maybe this has something to do with this. (CBS/New York Times Poll):

Just 32 percent, the lowest number ever, say Iraq was a threat that required immediate military action a year ago.

Less than half, 47 percent, now say the U.S. did the right thing taking military action in Iraq, the lowest support recorded in CBS News/New York Times Polls since the war began.

There are growing concerns about the long-term impact of the war. 41 percent now think the war increased the threat of terrorism against the U.S. 71 percent say the Administration’s policies have worsened the U.S.’s image in the Arab world.

…

For now, only 31 percent believe the Administration has a clear plan to turn over power in Iraq; 32 percent say it has a clear plan to rebuild the country.

The struggles in Iraq appear to have hurt assessments of the President. His overall approval rating (46 percent), his rating on handling Iraq (41 percent), and his rating on handling foreign policy (40 percent) are at the lowest points ever in this Administration. In each case, more disapprove than approve. 53 percent of voters are uneasy about Bush’s handling of international crisis, figures unmatched since before 9/11.

This Onion-style web page is not particularly original but some of the stories are great, this is one of them.

It’s been been said that the media does not tell you want to think, but it does tell you what to think about. While the latter is certainly true, it’s no more true than the former is false.

This story, an alternative version of the recent report of a Palestinian boy duped into being a suicide bomber, should leave you with some questions about the CNN storyboard.

You might also have some questions as to why this report of Israeli soldiers using an 11 year old Palestinian boy as a human shield failed to even make the storyboard.

Bush To Iraqi Militants: ‘Please Stop Bringing It On’
WASHINGTON, DC—In an internationally televised statement Monday, President Bush modified a July 2003 challenge to Iraqi militants attacking U.S. forces. “Terrorists, Saddam loyalists, and anti-American insurgents: Please stop bringing it on now,” Bush said at a Monday press conference. “Nine months and 500 U.S. casualties ago, I may have invited y’all to bring it on, but as of today, I formally rescind that statement. I would officially like for you to step back.” The president added that the “it” Iraqis should stop bringing includes gunfire, bombings, grenade attacks, and suicide missions of all types.

http://www.theonion.com/

As hundreds of Americans and thousands of Iraqis die in just one month in a morally wrong, unjustified war, this column puts to final rest any “confusion” about what John Kerry did with his medals in 1971. It is a phony controversy, period. Copy the link. Send it to your friends.